Delhi HC denies bail to former jail official in custodial death case

New Delhi, Oct 2 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has refused to grant bail to a former jail official in connection with the death of a gangster in Tihar Jail in 2021.

Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain had on September 26 dismissed the bail plea of former deputy jail superintendent Narender Meena, saying no grounds to grant the relief were made out in view of the nature and gravity of the offences as well as the likelihood of the accused influencing the witnesses or tampering with the evidence.

The 29-year-old undertrial Ankit Gujjar was found dead inside his cell in Tihar Jail on August 4, 2021.

While transferring the probe into the death to the CBI, the high court had opined that the deceased had "lost his life to custodial violence".

While rejecting the bail plea, Justice Jain noted that the statements of the eye-witnesses are "clearly indicative of the involvement" of the accused in the commission of the alleged offences and any delay in the trial court could not be attributed to CBI.

It also said the accused's plea of alibi was of no help as it was "apparent "that he was "present within jail premises" at the relevant time, and the same will be tested at the stage of trial.

"Ankit Gujjar died while he was in judicial custody. The postmortem report reflects multiple ante mortem injuries on body of UTP Ankit Gujjar.The trial court in impugned order also observed that the petitioner tried to influence witnesses and larger interest of the society has to be given preference over the liberty of the accused," the court said.

According to the CBI, the accused kicked and brutally beat up Gujjar and two other inmates -- Gurjeet and Gurpreet -- with polycarbonate 'lathis'.

Further, proper medical attention was not given to Gujjar who succumbed to injuries on August 4, 2021, the agency said.

Gujjar was lodged in prison number three of Tihar and was facing charges of multiple murders.

In October 2022, the trial court took cognisance of a charge sheet filed against Meena and other jail officials in the case related to the death of gangster Gujjar last year, citing "prima-facie" sufficient material to proceed with the case.

The accused were charged with Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The CBI has said that during investigation seven polycarbonate lathis having possible traces of blood were recovered from the jail. PTI ADS DV DV DV